Orange Cranberry Cheesecake

Celebrate the holiday season with the classic flavor pairing of cranberry + orange in this deliciously creamy Orange Cranberry Cheesecake recipe.

Graham Cracker Crust

9 whole graham cracker sheets 1 TBSP light brown sugar 6 TBSP butter

Filling

24 oz full-fat cream cheese 1 cup granulated sugar 2 TBSP all-purpose flour 1 TBSP fresh orange zest 2 TBSP orange juice 3 large eggs  1 can whole-berry cranberry sauce

Run the graham crackers in the food processor until finely ground. Pour melted butter in and run on low speed until it starts to clump.

Firmly press the crumbs into the bottom of the springform pan, and bake for 15 minutes. Let the crust cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer or a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and flour until smooth and lump-free.

Add the orange zest, orange juice, and one egg and beat until the egg is fully incorporated. Continue mixing in the eggs (the 2 remaining eggs) one at a time until they are just mixed in.

Pour half of the cheesecake filling into the springform pan on top of the crust.

Dump the whole berry cranberry sauce into a small bowl and stir with a spoon just to loosen it up. Spoon half of the cranberry sauce evenly over the cheesecake filling. 

Pour the remaining cheesecake filling over top. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining cranberry sauce over top the cheesecake and use a toothpick to swirl the cranberry sauce into the cheesecake.

Place the cheesecake in the middle of a large roasting pan, or any large pan that will fit it along with the water. Pour 5-6 cups of boiling hot water into the roasting pan around the sides of the spring form pan.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the cheesecake starts to brown around the edges and the middle is still slightly jiggly.

When done baking, turn the oven off, and leave the cheesecake inside the oven for 1 hour.

Allow the cheesecake to cool on a cooling rack for 1 hour at room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight